Please contact our expert technical team for advice on selecting the right turning insert for your job. Please call 01924 869 615 or email sales@cutwel.net

PCD (Polycrystalline Diamond) inserts are best used for machining non-ferrous materials. Although PCD has higher toughness than natural diamond, it’s still very brittle compared with other cutting materials. The most popular material machined with PCD is Aluminium, followed by plastics and brass.

Du to technological advancements in various industries, more manufacturers are using CBN turning inserts when machining harder materials that are more heat and abrasion resistant. These include the automotive, aerospace, oil and gas and medical industries.

CBN is made by combining ceramic materials with micron-sized cubic boron nitride fragments at high pressures and temperatures. It almost matches the hardness of diamond, therefore making it the second hardest material in the world with an approx. Hardness of 70 GPa. These properties ensure a low rate of wear and its ability to maintain close tolerances during machining.

PCD turning inserts have been around for over 40 years now and are already commonly used across a wide range of manufacturing processes such as furniture, aerospace and to produce other special alloy components.

PCD stands for Polycrystalline Diamond and PCD turning inserts are designed for high performance turning of non-ferrous and composite materials. This includes aluminium alloys, brass, carbon fibre, glass fibre, composites and abrasive plastics. PCD is an advanced material, similar to CBN and is made by combining together selected diamond particles at high pressure and temperature. These types of inserts have extreme hardness properties due to it’s own composition containing (90-95%) diamond, the hardest material in the world. Therefore, they can retain sharp cutting edges for longer and have good thermal conductivity.

CBN stands for Cubic Boron Nitride and CBN turning inserts are specifically designed for high performance cutting of ferrous metals. Typically, these are particularly used for hardened steel up to 70 Rockwell, but are also good for abrasive cast iron and HRSA’s (heat resistant super alloys) such as Inconel.

For the best results with CBN and PCD turning inserts, you can use standard Boring Bars for internal applications and double clamp, lever lock and multi lock turning tools for external applications. The double clamp system minimises vibration and maximises tool life. Through coolant can also improve chip clearance and tool life.

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Ceramic turning inserts are often used in aerospace where large components are machined due to the higher cutting speeds.

PCD is a synthetic diamond (up to 95% diamond, bonded to a tungsten carbide substrate), however, the diamond part is essentially pure carbon. Therefore, it is important that it is not used to machine ferrous materials, such as steel and cast iron, because at high temperatures the carbon atoms react with the part material to form iron carbide and can cause the diamond structures to collapse.

We commonly get asked why high performance turning inserts should be used over the more conventional carbide substrates. Our range includes CBN, PCD and ceramic turning inserts and in this article we will summarise what each of them are and why you should be using them.

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Turninginserts

Choosing which material to use in your CNC machining manufacturing process is a matter of preference, as well as consideration for how the product will be used. Therefore, choose carefully and consider trying your product ideas in different materials to see which works best.

Though a CNC router is more often used for cutting wood and plastics, it can be used for cutting aluminum (or other non–ferrous metals). For cutting non-ferrous metal it is not so much that you need a different router but that you will need to use it differently.Here are a number of differences to keep in mind:

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Cutwel’s range of PCD inserts offer excellent surface finish and incredible performance. We also offer a big range of CBN inserts. These are only designed for machining high hardened steels. For ceramic inserts, we would recommend this for finishing and roughing applications. They also provide extended tool life through excellent wear resistance.

For ceramic turning inserts there are dedicated turning tools and boring bars which will allow you to achieve maximum cutting data and tool life. Due to ceramic insert geometries not utilising the standard clamping method of conventional holders, a wedge or top clamp method is used to firmly clamp the insert in place.

Both styles of CNC routers use multiple materials. If you wonder whether a CNC router used for woodworking can also create products with metals, it is surprising the number of materials a CNC router can easily handle.

Either style of CNC router is an excellent choice for precision cutting. However, it is also suggested that before running a new part, you run an air cut – which does a trial run of the project before adding material. This will help reduce the chance of errors.

CNC routers have a broad range of applications no matter what type of material you are working with. Whichever material you choose, a CNC will have the same benefits; the main ones being superior automation and efficiency.Many CNC machines can be run throughout their whole cycle without the presence of an operator. Another major benefit of this technology is the high level of accuracy and ability to repeat specifications. That means that once your program is verified, whether you produce two, two hundred or two thousand work pieces, they will all be identical.

Ceramic inserts are not very versatile and need extra care when machining. Since ceramic is more brittle (than a material like carbide), choosing a thicker insert would be wiser for strength where possible. Ceramic inserts also require very high cutting speeds and with reinforced geometries, these can be used for roughing and finishing applications operations. Wedge or top clamp style holders are used to securely hold ceramic inserts. coolant can be used but is also not recommended in certain applications, please contact out expert technical team for more advice.

As PCD is extremely hard, it is also brittle. This means it is not suitable for unstable machining conditions where vibration can occur. Also we would usually advise to use coolant when machining with PCD tools.

CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) inserts can eliminate the need for additional grinding processes when machining high hardened steels

Ceramic inserts have longer tool life through excellent wear resistance whilst ensuring work efficiency by increased cutting speeds

Our range includes everything from general purpose to high performance material specific inserts for a wide range of applications.

To summarise, Ceramic inserts are a recognised alternative to standard carbide inserts due to their high heat resistance, longevity and overall improved performance.

Get a great start to your new project by scheduling a consultation with a specialist at CAMaster when designing your product, so that all options available to you can be considered. Having a professional review may help alleviate any manufacturing hiccups along the way.

Ceramic turning inserts are made from either aluminium oxide or silicon nitride. They provide excellent performance when machining hardened steel, cast iron, steel and exotics materials. They are also the most popular solution for fast metal removal on nickel-based alloys. Ceramic inserts can cost up to three times more per cutting edge compared to carbide inserts. However, the dramatic increase in cutting speeds which results in quicker cycle times mean production costs are greatly reduced.

CBN has boron as its primary element. These inserts are mainly suitable for for cutting hardened steel (HRc50-70) and best for light finishing. When machining CBN inserts no coolant is needed.

CBN inserts also eliminate the need for additional grinding processes when machining. They are a cost-effective alternative to diamond tools.

CNC lathe inserts

The UK's largest range of carbide turning inserts with a huge range of shapes and styles suitable for a variety of materials

CNC machining uses routers and CAM software applications to carve, etch, laser, or burn raw materials into fabulous products and parts. There are different types of CNC routers on the market. They all work with a variety of materials, including wood, metal, plastic, or stone.

With your CNC router, you can choose to make your project in either wood or metal. Consider other materials available today as well, such as high-density foam or plastics. What you create with your CNC router is only limited by your imagination.